


The path to love.

by Elit3



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Hospitalization, Hurt Theo Raeken, M/M, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Protective Scott McCall (Teen Wolf), Tags Are Hard, Theo Raeken Needs a Hug, Torture, hunters are assholes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:02:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25155928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elit3/pseuds/Elit3
Summary: Six months after the events of season 6B, Theo was trying to sleep in his truck when he was captured by hunters who plans to used him as bait to lure Scott into a deadly trap.
Relationships: Scott McCall/Theo Raeken
Comments: 4
Kudos: 39





	The path to love.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I hope you enjoy this fanfic. I should point out in advance that I love Theo although i didn't show it here. But I read practically all the Sceo fanfics with hurt Theo and protective Scott, so I had to add my grain of salt and here we are! I had planned to make a much shorter fic but I got carried away. I might do other fanfics on Sceo in the same genre but that will be much shorter. I apologize in advance for the mistakes and wish you a good read!

It's been six months now. Six months of always the same things. The list is long but the three on the top of the list are: trying to eat, trying to find a job and trying to get some sleep. As you guess the key word here is "try" because he failed most of the time. But if he is honest in the top of the list it is writting: " pretend not to care about how the pack treat him". Since he is a kid, he is good at pretending and now he is playing the role of his life. Each time that he is "invited" to a pack reunion , he have to put his face of indiference like if he couldn't saw them watching him or talking about him. They think that he is stupid but he is not, he is aware that he will never be a part of McCall's pack, they keep him close enough to watch if he is not killing anyone while keeping him far from them. He is good with that -not that he have the choice-, he is good with being an omega, he deserve it. 

Theo Raeken is just the shadow of hismelf. The chimeria is just a dead walking. In a way it is true since he came back from hell but also because if someone cared only once about about him, he would see how , how his own clothes are far too wide for him, the blackness of the dark circles below his eyes, the haunted gaze in his eyes, how pale his skin is, that his movements are far too slow, messy and stiff or just that he is sleeping in his truck. But there the thing no one never cared about him, not when he was a kid and specially not now. He remember talking to his parents and his sister about the doctor, how frightened he was about them, but they only laugh at him. Even Scott didn't wanted to listen in that time, to focus on Stiles for that. Theo was alone, surrounded but the dread doctors, screaming names of people who didn't gave a shit about him while their were torturing him. He was drowning, raising a hand in the water for someone to pull him out of the water but nobody came and now it is the same thing, he is drowning and no one care. He feels the water rising during the night, swelling in his lungs and preventing him from breathing. And the pack instead of helping him out of this water, they keep his head under the water, watch him drown, dying slowly. The worst part? It is that he agrees with that, Theo would let them do it because he is already dead, because he deserves it, because he don't worth anything and especially not to be saving. So at night when he can't sleep because the noise that his belly makes keeps him awake, as well as his stomach which clenching hitself because of the lack of food, the cold which biting his skin because his small blanket and his sweater are not thick enough and his metabolism of chimera can do nothing without food and therefore can not maintain the heat that all normal shapeshifters have. Add to this the outside noises of animals or other, which resemble the noises that the dread doctors were making or Tara when he was in hell. These are only noises, he knows it, except that it could be from something dangerous and he knows all the more that in his current state even Stiles could put him down. And when he finally succed to fell asleep, he is awakened either by his nightmares or by the police asking him to leave. 

What happen next is not really a surprise. Theo was sleeping, well trying too, because he couldn't found a correct position because at each position he could feel his bones that had become proeminent over the months. The teenager knows he should worry about being able to feel his ribs through his T-shirt or that his pants would fell without a belt but he don't anyone to talk about it. Anyway, he wake up suddendly after hearing a sound like is someone with heavy boots walked on a piece of woods. Even if he was awake and listening to every sounds near him, he wasn't 100% focus, he is too tired for that. He felt the shards of glass on his skin before he heard the glass break. Theo jumped up and passed his arms in front of his face to protect himself. He could do nothing when an arm pass through the window to open the door, everything was going far too fast for him. The door that just opened was the one on which he lean on, so without his support he fell against the gravel. The chimera knew it was going to happen, he's an omega after all but he thought that if he was going to die he would do it by fighting. Except that he is not in a condition to beat him, on ordinary days he fights just to stay upright, so there he could not prevent the fists from punching himr or the darkness from taking him.

**

Scott Mccall was sleeping when he received a sms. He was back to Beacon Hills for the hollyday and he wasn't the only one since Stiles and Lydia are back too. The true alpha was mentally about the pros and cons to check his phones. On the pros was that it should be an emergency if someone send him a sms at 2 am and on the cons was that he was too tired to deal with an emergency, he just want to sleep. He could deal with the possible emergency in the morning. Scott almost go back to sleep when his instinct told him that he should check his phone. He know that his instinct are rarely wrong so he tries to find his phone with his left hand while remaining in his position on his belly. Finally he succed to grabe it, he unlock his phone and see that he have a sms from an unknown numero. No one in the pack would text him with an unknown numero. His instinct is vibring like a spider sens. It is not a text that he received but a video, he click on it and wish he didn't. The first thing Scott can see is a body. The person was in the middle of a small room with his hands tied above his head and his toes were struggling to touch the ground. Scott could see all the sorts of torture elements on a table with some of them dripping with blood. The person behind the camera is not yet talking though as the alpha can hear a man's breathing. Then the video slowly approaches the bodyhibted in the sight of everyone. The teenager already had bruises that coloured his body in several colors, many cuts, more or less deep, and a knife was still planted near his hip. The man holding the phone went around his victim to show Scott the extent of the teenager's back, which was covered in laceration made from a whip. Then the man finishes his turn to return in front of his victim but more ready this time. Unfortunately Scott can not see who was tortured because the teenager had his head bent towards his chest, all he can is brown hair. He heard the voice of the elderly man asking his victim to let Scott see his head, but the brown-haired person kept his head down. Everything changed quickly after that, the alpha heard a little moan signaling that the man behind the camera had just hit him, then a gloved hand appeared in the field of vision and violently grabbed brown locks to pull his head back. It was Theo. Theo was being tortured and Scott had no idea. What he means is that he currently knows where all the members of his pack are but before that he didn't know where the chimera was. A growl came out of his throat how did the man dare touch what was his?! Of course Theo doesn't consider himself part of the pack but Scott sees it differently. He hated the old Theo, the one who killed him, who tried to destroy his family. But this Theo is different, he has helped them many times and yet no one helps him in return. All the wounds Scott had catalogued before, hurt him so much knowing that the body belong to Theo, but what hurt him the most was how visible all the bones of the chimera were: his ribs, his sternum, his hips and even his vertebral spine, and now with his head visible, Scott saw the dark circles below the eyes of the marginal of the pack. He also see the black eye, the blood on his temple and his nose bleeding. 

Even if everyone think that he is an idiot, Scott is not. He is aware that if he go at the location that the kidnapper gave him, he will fall into a trap. What are is other option? In the end of the video the man explecitly said that he would kill Theo -after a lot of suffering- if Scott don't come in the twenty minutes after he received the video or if Scott don't come alone. He can't let the chimeria die , he can't loose anyone else. Especially not him. So he start running. The alpha arrived infront of an abandon manor, he can hear five beating hearts and another one who beater slower than the others, he hear a sound behind him and he would had turn arround, if a scream didn't stopped him. It was a scream of pure agony and Scott freaze when he understand that it was Theo's voice that he just hear. In his state he didn't feel anyone coming behind his back, he didn't feel the shot he received behind his head before his knee dropped him and that he fall on the ground. His last thought before every become black was that he was going to save his mate. 

**

Since that she his a banshee she always know when death is coming and that what wake her up this night, someone is going to die if she don't do nothing. Someone in the pack. Lydia can't let that happen. Not when she can avoid it. So she do a rational thing, first she wake up Stiles sleeping near her, even if it is four a.m He remind her as an octopus when he is sleeping with each of his member in different position. Lydia almost thought she would have to kick for wake him up, but finally he open his eyes and when he saw that something important his happening, he get out the bed and start dressing up. 

"-What's going on?   
-Someone is going to die.   
-Who?!   
-I don't know but it is someone in the pack. Try to send a text in chat to see if someone is in danger.   
-Half of them are sleeping right now!  
-And half of them have a over-developed hearing. If someone answer tell him to go place to place." 

Styles do what she said and see that Liam and Corey heard their phone and that they are going to see if everyone is fine. Not only five minutes after she had this strange feeling, Lydia and Styles are in her car while she is following where her instinct tell her to go. The banshee felt that they were almost there when they reached an abandon part of the town. She stop her car before to arrive at the exact place. During all the trajet, Styles stayed focus on his phone. 

"-Any news?   
-Corey, Mason and Liam are fine, Liam and Corey where the first one to answer me and Mason was with Corey. Liam check on Malia and she is good too, same thing for Alec and Chris -who is not happy that Corey and Mason wake him up. But they didn't found Scott. He was not in his room and it's look like he leave in the rush. Also Liam is concern about Theo, he said that Theo that he text him but the other didn't answer and Liam or any others know where Theo can be. I also text Jackson, Isaac, Chris and Derek some didn't answer but the one who did said that hey were fine -and Derek reply that he was considering to rip my troath out with his teath.   
-So the one who is in this house are either Scott or Theo.   
-Maybe both.   
They look at each other.   
-I give the others the adress and tell them to come quickly."   
Lydia know that she have to wait for the rest of the pack, but she don't wan't to do so, she have the feeling that if their wait for the back-up it will be too late. Scott or Theo or both, if Stiles ir right, would be already dead. It is a death situation and the time is running out. 

"We can't wait". 

She get out of her car with her boyfriend behind her with his baseball bat in his hand. 

Thankfully they are not the kid they used to be, she know how to use her power now and soon Styles would be a FbI agent, they can deal with whoever is hurting their friends.   
**

When he woke up, all that Scott could feel was pain and a migrena. He also could feel that he is sitting on a chair with his hands and his foots attached to it, hear small respiration coming in front of him and smell blood. He didn't open his eyes but yet he knew that he wouldn't like it not when he can smell too much blood in such a small room. Finally he take his courage in his hands and open his yes. As he thought, he was in the same room that the video show and from where he was sitting, he could only put his eyes on Theo. Between the time he saw the video and the one he get here only 10 minutes passed, more the time he spend unconscious, but yet the chimera look even worse than before or maybe it is just more worse to see the reality in real than on a phone. He become more and more angry when he see all of the damages that the kidnapper did on Theo. Scott understand what make the other scream when he see that his right arm is out of his place, the younger stands only thanks to the ropes that tie his wrists to the ceiling. Deep down Scott is terrified that Theo might die but he is going to save the man he love. Because yes, now he is sure, what he feel about Theo Raeken is love, real love, the same he had with Allison. Deaton told him once that werewolfes can have soulmates and Scott thought that his soulmate died in his arms but maybe werewolfes can have more than one soulmates. At first he didn't wanted to admit the attraction he felt towards the chimera because he tried to killed him, to destroy his pack but then a new Theo came back. Scott don't think that it really is a new Theo as Liam or the rests say, no, for him it is the old Theo who came back from hell. He know that Styles think the same way, for now one they both see the 10 years old Theo they were friends with. This thought hurt him so deeply because they could had prevent all of this from happening, at least Scott like to think so, but in that time his parents were divorcing and Styles's mom just died, meaning that they didn't had the time to hear Theo concern about some strange doctors who wanted to hurt him. The dread doctors tortured him and now he is being tortured again. 

"-Glad to see that you are finally awake Mr.Mccall. Ready to join the party?   
Scott struggle in his contraint when a man arrived in his vision, he didn't saw him before, too concern about Theo.   
-Who are you and what do you want?   
-Me? No one, yet. And i want to have my name write in is history. I'll be the most known hunter in all the world after i will have kill you.   
-You didn't had to hurt him!   
-Him? The hunter come closer to Theo, he passes behind the back of the other and force the teenager to raised his head, so the chimera can now see Scott, a little noise came out of his throat when he saw the alpha. The poor little thing was sleeping in his car. Can you believe in that? Oh! But yeah, true, you didn't even knew don't you? What terrible alpha you are, not watching over a member of your pack. He has fun touching the blade in the teenager's belly. Your right i didn't had to hurt him, but where would be the fun if i didn't. Especially that he is so a good patient with such a mouth. I mean he also beg me to hurt him with his: "the worse pain is emotional not physical" or "i know what real torture look like". And all other sarcastic answers. Anyway, i'm going to play a little more with him, then i am going to kill and then it will be your turn.  
-I will stop you before you do so.   
The old man left Theo side to come closer to Scott.   
-The young today, always so sure about themself. I will pay to see you try. Let me explain you: you are surrounded by mountain ashes and i know that true alpha can pass the mountain ash. That why i surrounded your slut with mountain ashes too. Maybe you will be able to pass trough one circle but i would had already killed him before you pass the second one.   
-Do whatever you want with me but let him go, please, he didn't do anything. Theo, you'll be alright , i promise.   
-Firstly i told you that he insult me, there is no way i will let him go, not before i break him at least. Secondly he can't hear you. I wanted to see if the quick healing of the werewolves could cure the broken eardrums so I pierced them, both of them. Except that I forgot that your little whore is not a real werewolf and that he does not have the same heal as you, not to mention that his undernutrition does not really help him. Thirdly don't make promises you can't keep.   
Scott is mad, how dared that sadist?! He intentionally hurt Theo just for fun. He had never wanted to kill anyone, thinking there was always another option. But there he saw one. He wanted to scream with rage but a small voice stopped him.   
-Scott...? You shouldn't had come... Not for me.   
Why would Theo tell him that?Like he thinks his life is worthless? The hunter was having fun with him like a little madman. Scott hoped someone would come and save them, not knowing that in two hours Lydia and Stiles would come for them.   
-Is he not cute? He really think that he wouldn't come for him, that you didn't cared about him. But it look like you do care. There is also something else that i notice while i was playing with him, he get hysteric when i cut him near his heart. Now i am not a doctor or a psy but i want to go deeper on that loophole. You'll see, his voice is so lovely when he start to scream."

The hunter has ended the discussion by grabbing a new knife from the table. The man approach Theo and the teenager do not move, either because he has not hear him approach or just because he is resigned. Scott don't want to watch what is coming, he want to close his eyes and see nothing, except he can't do that. If he close his eyes it would be as if he abandon Theo to his fate, then he keep his face in the direction of the chimera while the man begin his work. The answer is instant the wolf/coyote begin to struggle in his bonds despite his wounds, he is totally driven by instinct and fear. Theo clearly do not like that man approach his heart and yet this is what the man do, he cut Theo's skin as if it is butter. Scott's rage returns looking at the face of the chimera, he no longer see the traitor or the man he learned to love but the child. The same child who sat with him at a table while everyone else had to run, Scott could not because of his asthma and Theo because of his heart. He see the child who had been tortured by the Dread Doctor and the alpha can hear Theo's little voice begging him to save him as he is doing now. Theo beg the man to stop, then shout at Scott to save him as he had done when Kira had opened the door to Hell, and finally Theo stop to fight, his eyes that had come into contact with those of Scott are now blurry as if he is somewhere else in his mind and then he whisper: "It's okay .... Tara... you don't have to stop." Scott knows who Tara is but he doesn't understand why Theo would go and talk about her now or why he would tell her she didn't have to stop. This sentence has had another effect on the hunter, he is angry because his subject does not pay him enough attention to his taste. So he makes a new incision in the skin of the chimera and asks her who Tara is. Theo obviously does not answer him, too lost in his own thoughts and too deaf to even hear the question. The man then becomes even more angry because someone had already broken the teenager before him. He then decides to bring back the little whore, as he likes to nickname Theo, in the real world by stabbing him. If the hunter was not as precise in his movements he would undoubtedly have touched the heart of the chimera. Instead, the knife was stuck some milimeters farther from the teenager's heart. The piercing cry that came out of Theo's throat makes Scott cringe, who is totally shocked, when he saw the sadist raise his knife he had thought it was the end, that he was going to kill Theo. But he is able to let go of the breath he held when he saw that Theo is still alive, for now. The True alpha look away to look at the hunter.

"-You're sick! You could have killed him!   
-That's what I want! I don't want to kill him right now. I still want to have some fun. Except it can change very quickly if you don't tell me who this Tara is.   
-She is, was, his big sister.   
-So she's dead. So why is he talking about her now? Why is his heart such a sensitive area? And don't tell me that the heart is a sensitive area for everyone.   
He feels he's going to get sick, he don't want to tell Theo's secrets to his torturer except that he has no choice, he has to try to buy time.   
-I don't know why he thinks she's the one who tortures him. All I know is that she died years ago, drowned under a bridge. If he doesn't like your knife near his heart, it's because when he was a child he had heart problems that were solved as soon as he became a chimera."

Of course Scott is aware that this is not all the truth, that Theo let his sister died for have her heart but the torturer don't have to know that. He also know that the younger came back haunter from his time in Hell. The true alpha rather not talk about Hell to the hunter. 

Once again the old man stop the conversation, this time he put back the kniffe on the table. For the first time Scott decide really look the man. The hunter must have fifteen years old, more or less, he black hair who started to become grey, he is taller than him and larger. The torturer is a fanatic, Scott know that there is no point with talking to him, he won't listen because he is not torturing for informations but for pleasure and those kind of people are more dangerous than the others. He wich than the man stop, that he torture him rather than Theo who suffer enough. The chimera takes small, hoarse, jerky breaths as if it hurts to breathe, but what part of his body don't hurt him? Unfotunately the guy was not finish yet, Scott can feel it in his bones, he trie to get out of the ties that keep him in the chair whitout success. But then a memorie strike him, he remember a convesation he had with Allison when she told him that her dad tied her on a chair. She said that when you are tied to a chair which is made of wood, the best way to get free is to broke the chair by breaking the chair on the floor with its weight. But she also add that it must be a chair made in wood to be able to do it. Thankfully the chair was indeed make in wood, all that Scott need to escape is an opportunity. The alpha can't stop to thought about how much he miss Allison and not only because he loved her and that she was his anker but because she was smart and so strong. But she died in his arms and he is not letting anyone else dying on his watch. Scott can feel the hope coming back, at the minute that the hunter is away, he will broke the chair and get through the ash mountain. He already done it before, he can do it again, for Theo. 

The hunter who was looking for a new toy to use on the teenager finally found what he was looking for. Scott was scarred that it would be another kniffe or something more ... impressive but it was just lighter. He know better than underestimate an hunter, he is sure that his future step-father could hurt him with a toothpick if he wanted to. He watch the man opening the lighter infront of Theo who can't hear anything but who seems reassure that his torturer has decided to stop cutting it so close to his heart. The chimera even have his smirk back. 

"That all you got...? A lighter? At least the Dread Doctors had more imagin... Aaaah!"

If Theo stop in his sarcastic sentence is because the hunter took one of the teenager's foot in his arm -which causes Theo to lose his precarious balance and make him have more weight on his shoulders and thus on his dislocated arm- lit the lighter and led the flame just below the plantar arch of the chimera. The man drove the flame again and again, mercyless, on the plantar arch and then on the side of foot. He burn all the sensitive parts on Theo's foot. The teenager first scream and then start to laugh hysterically which make which sent a shiver into Scott's back because the chimera sound so broken. When he is finish with the first foot the hunter put it down, he was going to take the second foot when Theo kick him in the nose, when he see the man fall to the ground with blood flowing from his nose, his hysterical laughter becomes louder. The old man was furious, Scott don't even have to see the face of the torturer to know it, but even if he was scarred for the repercussions of the kick, he can't stop the smile to grow on his face. 

"Oops, I wanted to give you my foot but i was a little too strong" Theo don't sound sorry at all and if he can hear the lie, so do the hunter who pulls out his electric nightstick and points the electric tip at the foot he had just finished. When the man decide that the "punishment" is learn, he turn off his nightstick, take back the lighter and go back to the other foot. Scott is scarred that the flame would let black traces of Theo's feet like his tatoo but then he remember that Derek used a blowtorch and not a lighter. The lighter is not powerfull enough to create the black marks, when -and not if- Theo will be recovered from his injuries, he will not have tattoos on his feet. 

After too many minutes of torture, for Scott it's been hours since he is sitting on the chair, the hunter stop. He go back to the table and drop the light on it and take a bottle of water, the true alpha hope that the old guy will drink it and not used it on Theo -what could he do with it, anyway. Hold on Chris would know, Scott is sure of that. Thankfully the torturer only drink it under the intense gaze of Theo. The hunter smile and say: "What do you want some?". Theo don't reply because he can't hear it obviously but also because the hunter already know the answer. He take another bottle of water and go closer to his victim, the alpha thought that the man would actually let Theo drink but instead the hunter spills the water on the head of the chimera.

"You know it's wrong to waste water, don't you?" Scott is really questionning the mental health of the chimera right now. What is wrong with him?! A lake of auto-preservation? A wish of death? Both?! Scott wish Theo could hear because he would already had reprimemded him. He also stay quiet because he don't want to give another reason to the torturer to go mad. If he can't talk to the chimera, he can at least show him that he is here to support him, that he is not alone, with his eyes. Scott let his eyes become red not to show that he is angry but to show to the chimera that his alpha is here. Hopefully Theo don't understand it wrong and reply by showing his yellow eyes. They both stop before the man could notice. 

Suddendly the door open and a head comes out of the embrasure of the door. The newcomer is younger and refer to the torture by calling boss. Apparently the other hunters need him for something. The older look at him and then Theo before to start walking towards the door, follow the newcomer and then close the door before to leave. Scott his glad that the hunter comitt his third mistake. The first is that he touch Theo, the second that he sit Scott on an old chair made in wood and the third is that he let them on their own with a shielded door which will allow Scott to make as many sound as he want whitout being notice. Only him can hear what's going on upstairs. He sees Theo's head resting on his forearm as if he were drained of all energy which is surely the case. The true alpha easily broke the chair by tipping it back but now come the tough part. He have to cross the first circle of ash mountain which is arround his chair, then walk near the table and then cross the secound circle. 

He take a deep breathe and then start to cross the ash mountain. 

It's hurt and he have to bite his lip not to scream. 

Scott is almost done. 

Still a little effort and it will be on the other side of the magic barrier. 

His eyes are glowing. 

Finally he succed to get through it. 

Passing by the table, he stops to look at all the tools. Some are bloodied,others are not used yet. There is the whip, the knives, the lighter and other objects which Scott is not sure to want to know what they can do. He takes a moment to catch his breath and a thought strikes him. He knows that he is unable to pass the second barrier to take Theo and then to pass it again to go out, to wait for the hunter to return for him to open the door, win the fight, and then get them out safely by passing the other hunters. It is already not certain to be able to pass the second barrier so do everything else seems impossible. But it is by lingering on a knife that he finds the solution. A supernatural being cannot break magical barriers, on the other hand a human can, a powerful wind or can be a knife. He must be able to break the circle of ash mountain with a knife. So he tries and luckily the barrier breaks. The true alpha don't lose times to enjoy his victory and rather untie Theo. Scott put a hand on the younger's hip but the youngest jumps to the touch, terrified that the hunter has already return. So Scott stops trying to undo the knot that holds the chimera's hands to the ceiling to place his other hand on Theo's cheek and with the softest touch Scott makes him look at him.He knows that the other cannot hear him, so with one hand he strokes Theo's cheek while the other touches the hip bone of the chimera and makes small circles on it, he tries to make him understand by his touch and his look what he cannot say with words. It works and he can go back to untie the marginal. 

As soon as the ties are removed, nothing holds Theo back from falling except Scott's grip on the other's hip. So Instead of falling head first on the ground, he fell into the arms of the alpha. The anger that Scott felt until then this calm now that he has the man he loves in his arms, he promises not to let Theo go from that moment.

Scott slides them to the ground and holds the youngest against his chest and watches him curl up against him in search of safety and heat emanating from the alpha. He is careful not to hurt the injured teenager any more and keeps his touches as soft as possible. Scott would love so much that Theo could hear his words of comfort, but he knows he doesn't need them because the heart-buildings of the chimera make him understand that Theo knows.

The alpha feels a pinch in the heart because he held Allison the same way before she died. He would like to be confident about Theo's chances of survival but he can feel the blood of the chimera flowing through them. There are too many wounds for the accelerated healing of werewolves to work as it should especially as their torturer is right, Theo was already too weak and he does not have the same healing capacity as him or Liam. So he does the only thing he can do: he keeps his hand on Theo's cheek and relieves him a little of his pain. Scott feels overwhelmed by all the pain the chimera feels and knows that it's not just physical.

For safety, Scott focus his hearing on what's going on above them. He hear the old man bragging about what he did to the little whore. Scott hates that nickname, Theo is far from a whore. He also hears them laughing and talking about certain things, one of them opens bottles of beers. They act as if everything they were doing was normal and maybe that for them it is normal, how many other werewolves did they tortured and then killed? Is it just a game for them?   
The minutes pass more and more slowly and Scott would be unable to say how long he has been holding Theo in his arms. All he knows is that while the three hunters are having fun upstairs, he is forced to watch the chimera bleed out, to feel his heartbeat slow down more and more. The alpha had tears running down his cheeks, he can't do anything, he knows his claws aren't powerful enough to open the door and even if he could, they would be slaughtered right away. It kills him to have to wait. 

**

Stiles must hurry out of the car to follow Lydia. His girlfriend walks with a decided step ready to save Scott or Theo. Secretly Stiles hoped it was the chimera. Not that he wants Theo to be tortured or anything, but if he has to choose between his best friend and the person who almost ripped them apart, he chooses Scott without hesitation. But the future FBI agent knows that no matter who they find inside because it will hurt him to see that in both cases. Scott because he is are brother and Theo because ... because no matter what happened in Hell it changed the chimera that became the child he remembers again. The one with whom he exchanged cards, who stayed alongside Scott during the sports sessions when neither of them were fit to play sports... But then everything changed, first Theo's sister died and he and the rest of his family moved from Beacon Hills, they had promised to write to each others except that soon after that, his mother died and Scott's parents had divorced. Neither ever wrote to Theo and he remembers that in any case they had never had the new address of the chimera that they eventually forgot until he came back into their lives.

Stiles returns to the present when he hears Lydia telling him to make a diversion as she goes through the back to surprise them. He waits for her to be ready, and then he does what he knows best, running in front of danger to save his friends. He rings the doorbell once and when he realizes that no one is going to open it, he drums at the door and shouts, "Open up, it's the pizza delivery guy!"

It is a man of thirty years, quite banal, who opens the door. He would have been intimidated without the FBI classes he took or his girlfriend who is on the other side of the house. 

"-We didn't command any pizza.  
In his head Stiles his smiling, the guy is clearly on the defensive meaning that he have something to hide.   
-I don't understand, yet, i am at the good adress. My boss is so going to kill me if i don't deliver the pizza.   
-Are you fucking with me?! You don't even have any pizza!   
-Oh! I forget that i wasn't working today. Can you believe this misunderstanding? You know what, i'm going to leave." 

The guy was going to grab him but got stop when a scream broke the air. Stiles seizes his chance and although he no longer has his bat, he has a tazzer that he pushes into the hunter's belly until the man falls to the ground. He straddles the man and enters the house when a new scream is heard. Once in the living room, two other men, one old and one much younger than the other two, are already unconscious. 

"Now what?" 

There's a staircase that leads to the basement and there are footprints leading to it. Unconsciously, Stiles follows the footsteps and descends the stairs with Lydia following him. Once down, he finds an armored door. He is about to take out his kit to force the lock when Lydia hands him a key.

"-I can't even impress you with my crocheting skills?  
-Stiles, open the door." 

He do what she say and push the door to be fully open. He hasn't even walked through the door yet that his gaze hangs on the horror vision in front of him. Sometimes he really hates himself for being right. Scott held Theo in his arms completely unaware that the door had just opened. There's blood everywhere, a pool of blood forms under the two teenagers from all of Theo's wounds, whether it's from his back or his belly, and Scott, who's unharmed, is stained with red. Stiles has a complete view on the burnt feet of the chimeras, from where Theo is cowering against the alpha. The future FBI agent wants to vomit and he would have done so if a detail had not forced him to move. His second best friend of a bygone era does not move, his chest no longer rises from bottom to top, his heart has just stopped! Stiles passes the two circles of ash mountain and comes crouching next to the other two. He places his hand on Theo's shoulder only to receive an angry alpha groping and red eyes at him. He don't have the time to be nice. 

"-If you don't let me take him, it will be the end. He'll be dead for good, can you hear me?! Dead!

He manages to push the alpha from his grip on the chimera, which he gently lays on the ground and on his back. Now he has a complete view of Theo's injuries but he doesn't dwell on it. He starts doing a heart massage and he doesn't even have to look where the youngest's heart is because it is framed with cuts.

-Lydia! You have to give him mouth-to-mouth." 

One ....Two....Three... 

Again.

One... Two... Three... 

Theo's is not coming back. 

One... Two... Three... 

... 

"-He is back! You did it! 

Stiles places two fingers on Theo's neck to find that Scott of course heard the slight heartbeat and didn't imagine them. He beckons Lydia to stop, which leaves space for the chimera to breathe. Even if Theo's heart beats again, it could stop at any moment.

-Scott...   
-I'll carry him"

Stiles rises from his crouching position and takes Lydia's hand for comfort. It was close, too close, during a second the hyper-active teenager thought that they were still going to lose someone but Theo is a survivor and his heart started beating again. He sees Scott take Theo in his arms in a bridal way and Lydia helps him stabilize by putting the chimera's head on the alpha's shoulder so that it doesn't hang. Lydia climbs the stairs in first priest to fight if the hunters have woken up, then Scott and finally Stiles who closes the walk. He is happy to see that the hunters are still unconscious, they come out in front of the man that Stiles had tased. Once outside, several cars are parked in front of the house and all the pack members who are in Beacon Hills form a line and all remain mesmerized by the vision of their alpha holding a bloodied Theo in his arms. Liam approaches Theo, he raises his hand as if to touch the chimera but turns around and says he'll take matters into his own hands here. Scott nods in reply and the three go at Lydia's car. His girlfriend unlocks her car and Stiles opens the back door to allow his best friend to get into the car. He closes the door behind Scott, gets into the car and Lydia immediately starts the car heading to the hospital.

**

It was a fairly quiet morning in the hospital and the only thing that kept Melissa from falling asleep was the cups of coffee she had. She only had a few hours left to do and then she could go home and collapse on her bed where Chris was waiting for her. Melissa never thought she would go out for a day with Chris Argent and for so many weeks they will be married. Although she would like to think about her upcoming wedding, her dress and how cute Scott and Isaac will be as a witness, she had to focus. Especially since for a few hours she had a strange feeling about Scott. She doesn't like this feeling because every time something terrible happens. It's like when Scott was little and she felt a feeling only to see him come running with Stiles behind him and sometimes Theo.

She is not so shocked to see Stiles and Lydia running in the hospital and for a second she thought it was because Scott was badly injured but then she saw her big boy walking with someone in his arms. The nurse rushed to his son and saw that he was holding Theo in his arms. Melissa then went into nurse mode and asked someone to bring a jerk and call a doctor. She then ordone Lydia and Styles to take Scott to the waiting room because Scott remained stuck on the chimera. While waiting for Liam's father to arrive, she takes the child's pulse and sees him struggling to open his eyes.Melissa passes her hand in the hair too long of the chimera and whispers soothing words to him, for now no matter that he tried to kill his son, because right now all she sees is the little boy who was chasing his son, who needed an inhaler like him and who had parents who argued every thirty seconds. He looks at her scared and then calms down when he recognizes her. By the time Dr. Geyer arrived, Theo had fallen unconscious.

When Dr. Geyer went into surgery with the other doctors, Melissa returned to the waiting room because there was nothing she could do. She finds the trio sitting on chairs, all looking dead of fatigue, especially Scott who has traces of blood on his face and clothes. She sits next to her son, when she sits she hears Scott whispering "Mom" in a broken voice so she takes him in her arms as she did after Allison's death. She knows Scott can't recover if he loses someone again, especially if that someone is Theo Raeken. Melissa has seen it the way her son looks at the chimera and how Theo makes his looks, but the two idiots are unaware of their love for each other. She hopes Scott will have the courage to confess his feelings once Theo is awake.

They've been waiting for over an hour now. Scott is no longer in her arms because he succed to calm down, even if his thoughts are focus on Theo, Stiles is asleep against Lydia. They are no longer alone in the waiting because the whole pack that stayed in Beacon Hills is there, even Haiden and Malia are here.They are either sitting on chairs or are standing, the worst is Liam who is making the hundred steps in the waiting room. She hears her beeper telling her to come and bring Theo into a room. Melissa moves slowly and gets up but Scott is already standing, questionning her about Théo. She only reply that he is fine since she have to brought him in a room and that the doctor Geyer will be here soon to warn the pack. 

She goes down to surgery where another nurse is already waiting for her to mount Theo in intensive care. Melissa was expecting the worst and it was even worse than she could have imagined during this endless hour. Theo looked .... looked dead. Now that all the blood was gone, she could see how hungry he looked with his cheeks dug out and how much he didn't sleep with hollows below his eyes. She and Nancy begin to put bandages around the skeletal shape of the chimera of her feet up to her torso where it was easy for her to see the child's broken ribs. They were forced to put him in intensive care because Theo was too weak to treat himself even though he is a supernatural being. So that's what they do and once they get there, they have to plug it into several machines and put a hose down his throat because a rib punctured a lung. When the work is done, she asks Nancy to get down into the one waiting and warn Scott and the others. Melissa prefers to wait with Theo, touching his hair and talking to him even though he can't hear anything. 

**

Liam had had a bad feeling as soon as he had received the message from Stiles asking them about the group if everyone was okay. He had left the work of going to check on the others with Corey and Mason. He was supposed to check on Malia, Haiden and Theo. Haiden was with him so he knew she was fine. He remembers running to Malia's house with Haiden by his side, once assured that the were-coyote was fine, they must now have that Theo was fine. He had texted her before going to Malia's, but he had not yet answered her. it didn't bother Liam more than that as the chimera did not answer him since he hardly ever answered, to inform him that there was a meeting he had always been lucky to find the other boy near his truck. He had tried to call him but without success then Haiden had said that they only had to go to his house at the same time that Malia had said they did not have to worry about him. But Liam realized that he didn't know where Theo lived since he never told him. He didn't think about it once they received the text message from Stiles giving them an address. They arrived at the same time as the others in front of the house. They heard footsteps, one heavier than the others, coming towards them. They had relaxed feeling that it was Lydia, Stiles, Scott and Theo, with a lot of blood following them. Liam watched the trio pass by with Scott carrying Theo in his arms. He had come closer to see more closely and almost lost his control when he saw the state of the chimera. He warned Scott that he was going to take care of the hunters and his Alpha nodded before leaving for Lydia's car. It was their fault, it was because of them that Theo is in this state, the omegas never end well, they all knew and yet had done nothing. They called the sheriff to pick up the hunters and searched the house while they waited. Liam almost lost control as he went down to the cellar and saw the bloody chains hanging from the ceiling with the pool of blood underneath. Only Haiden's hand on his forearm prevented him from transforming. He wanted to go up and kill the hunters but he couldn't, so he helped the others find clues about the precense of other hunters in town but it seems they were working alone. The oldest hunter had woken up to an angry pack but the sheriff had arrived in time to take the three hunters into custody. Then Liam remembers running to the hospital to find the trio and Melissa in the waiting room. He was taking a hundred steps, ashamed and angry at the hunters and himself. He had learned to regard Theo as his brother, the chimera was always there to give them a hand when they needed it without receiving anything in return except the negative remarks of Malia and Haiden.

It's been four days since Theo is in intensive care and he have shown no signs of improvement, see otherwise. During the first night he had had a severe fever and Melissa had to stay by his side all night, the fever only stopped yesterday. The mother of the pack had said that it was normal for him to have a fever since his body was too weak to defend itself. It was, it is, horrible to see the usually chimera so strong being so weak. Mason made the remark that Theo looked more like a mummy now and Stiles had added that Theo was now the chimera half wolf and half mummy . They had laughed not because it was funny but just to break the weird atmosphere that reigned over the room, everyone was ashamed of their behaviors, especially Haiden and Malia who now acts like a coyote mom who is protecting her little one. Seriously, Malia had grumbled at a nurse who had too abruptly stuck a needle in Theo. Scott was the worst of them. Since that Nurse Nancy asked him to follow her, he hardly moved from the chair next to Theo's bed holding the chimera's left hand in his. His alpha barely slept and ate, they had to promise him that nothing would happen to Theo if he went home to take a shower, change and sleep. Scott also occasionally took Theo's pain, Liam knew that what Scott was doing would not help him heal, but his Alpha replied that since Theo could not hear them, he could feel that someone was taking some of his pain from him. That day Liam had approached and touched Theo for the first time and also took some of his pain, Malia and Haiden did the same thing. It was quite a magical scene four supernatural creatures taking the pain of a member of the pack. 

The beta have to come back to the present when he hear that Theo is chokes with the tube in his throat, his eyelids are wide open and his eyes are wide and shows fear.Liam presses the emergency button and tries as best he can to calm the chimera. To say that he had just fought with scott for the alpha to go home and here Theo starts to choke. Fortunately Nancy arrives in a matter of seconds and removes the hose from her patient's throat. Liam wanted to say so much to the chimera now that he was awake except that when he looked at Theo's face he sees that the other teenager was unconscious again. He asks the nurse what happened and she tells him that Theo hasn't really woken up, he can breathe again on his own and his body has just tried to reject the foreign object. According to her it's a good sign it means that Theo will soon really wake up and that he no longer has a place in intensive care. Moreover now that his body is resting and that it is nourishes the accelerated healing ability of the chimera will finally make its effect. While a normal patient should have been in a coma for several weeks, Theo will need only one. Nancy even added that she thinks that by tomorrow the child - as all the nurses call Theo here - will soon be awake. She forces him out of the room to his displeasure, if there is a chance that his brother will wake up there is no way that he will leave him! Besides, he promised his Alpha not to leave the room. But the nurse is uncompromising and has no choice but to go out. He's going to wait in the hallway and wonder if he should call Scott. On the one hand, Scott may panic that he won't see Theo in his room, but on the other side if he calls him now he's sure that the true alpha will be here in less than five minutes and he won't have rested. Before he decides what to do Malia joins him and before she gets angry, he explains the situation to her. She decides not to call Scott and let him rest. 

After 10 minutes Nancy picks them up to Theo's new room and Liam asks her to tell Melissa who's at home what's just happened, so she can warn her son of the changes before he leaves for the hospital. They sit next to the unconscious chimera and Liam is grateful that he have no longer that horrible thing stuck in his throat. He and Malia bet on when Theo wakes up, Liam bets he will be awake tomorrow morning and Malia chooses the afternoon.

**

When Theo wakes up he feels relatively good, which is very weird. He is lying on a bed instead of curled up in his truck and there is no feeling of claustrophobia, he can also say that he slept well and that he did not have nightmares but the most disturbing thing is that he is not hungry. Then he remembers everything, the hunters they forced him out of his truck, the torture -again- and Scott. The alpha was there, sitting in front of him while the hunter had fun with him. He calms down thinking of Scott because he didn't abandon him, he came to save him, the smell that comes from him also helps him calm down as well as the hand that holds his own and the voice that speaks to him. He doesn't really hear the voice, as if it came from afar or that he was underwater. Theo tries to open his eyes only to be blinded by ambient light and he tightens the pressure around the hand that holds him. Then with a lot of effort he finally manages to open his eyes to a white ceiling, turning his head to his left side, he sees that it is Scott -obviously - who is there with him. Theo smiles in spite of himself towards the other teenager.

"-Scott.... Didn't anyone told you that you was scarry to see?   
-You didn't see your's.   
-What are you saying, i always look amazing.   
-Hold on, you can hear me?   
-Barely.   
Scott got closer and give him something to drink. The grainy sensation in his throat goes away as he finishes the glass.   
-How do you feel?   
\- As if Stiles had rolled on me several times with his Jeep. But not as bad as i thoughts.  
-Good, i thought i was going to lost you.   
-Not today. He take back Scott's hand in his. How many times was i unconscious?   
-Five days. It is 3 pm. I'm glad that you are awake.   
-Why? Why did you come that night? Why are you glad? What are you even doing here? I thought that you would be happy to see me dead.   
While he was talking tears flowed down his cheeks, he tried, he really tried for six months to pretend, to put back the mask of indifference that he was wearing before but he could no longer do this, pretending that everything was fine when he was in pain. So bad, he's afraid of his sister hiding in his mind, waiting for her time to pick up what belongs to her, afraid that the Dread Doctor will come back, he feels guilty for the lives he took and the one he helped to take but what hurts him the most is that he loves Scott Mccall. And it's ridiculous, he knows the powerful and virtuous Alpha will never feel the same way about him because he's a murderer, because he's broken and Scott deserves so much better than him. His tears became sobbing when he saw that the alpha's eyes turned red, that's when Scott was going to get his revenge. He deserves it and he knows it. Theo put his head on the side as a sign of submission even though the sobs do not stop. He feels so weak, it's not him to cry like a child, the dread doctors had taught him not to cry and yet here he is making the most disgusting noises. Powerful arms pass behind his frail shoulders and force him into a sitting position, before he understands what's happening to him he's pinned against the alpha's chest with his face hidden in Scott's neck who doesn't let go of his grip on him.   
-Shush... It's okay, Theo, i'm here ... Shush... No one is going to touch you again, i promise... shush...   
Eventually, he calm down and the sobs stop even though some tears continue to flow. Scott loosens his grip on him a little, just enough for them to be face to face and the alpha moves one of his hands to clear the remaining tears on his cheeks. Scott keeps his hand on his cheek and he leans towards the touch because it's been so long since that someone has touched him to comfort him and not for hurt him. The alpha forces him, by a gentle touch, to raise his head so that he looks at him.  
-You're going to listen to me, if i come when i received the video it's only because i can't let anyone got tortured but because i couldn't handle it. See you being hurt broke my heart. If i'm glad that you are awake is because it was killing me to see you in this shape. I'm here because i love you, Theo Raken. I would never be happy to see you dead, i never wanted that, send you to hell is the worst thing i ever made. In my nightmares i can hear you shouting for me to save you, i should have grab your hand but it was easier to let her take you. I'm so sorry Theo, that my fault and i'm not only talking about the underworld but because i was so focus about my study and about what i was feeling about you that i forgot what really mater, you. And-  
Theo have enough to hear Scott's apologize and kiss him to make him stop talking. Even though he started the kiss, Scott quickly takes control although he remains soft and they don't go any further than a little kiss on his mouth. Although this little kiss is enough to steal all the air in his lungs. Scott quickly ends the kiss and Theo is forced to cough to catch his breath. All these weepings have made Theo tired so he decides to lie down against the hammer but he makes room for the alpha in a silent request to come and join him on the bed. Fortunately Scott understands and he lies on his back, instinctively Theo lies on his side and places his head on the chest of the alpha that places an arm on his bony hip. Scott is careful not to hurt him and he is very grateful for that.  
-It's been five days that i'm thinking about my speech and you just destroy it.   
-You convice me when you said that you love me. But are you sure? I mean, i love you too that not the problem and you don't have to feel sorry, i deserved to go to hell, but i try to kill you and to steal your pack and what would think the others? They hate me and i'm not even a part of the pack.   
-Yes, Theo, i really love you and i already forgive you a long time ago, you're not the same that you used to be. I don't care about what the pack would think and they don't hate you. Okay, maybe Malia and Hayden did but when they saw you like that, their hate towards you was lesser that the guilt they feel. We all feel guilt, especially Liam, because we never ask you where you was living or if you was eating. And you are a part of the pack, you have it since you helped us with the ghost rider and then with the hunters. Since that you are at the hospital, all of the pack was here: Mason, Corey, Liam, Hayden, Malia, Lydia and Styles. I know that you can't hear them but they are all waiting behind this door and some of them are even listening our conversation.   
-I'm not sure that i worth it. That i worth all this love and care.   
-One day you will and i hope that i'll be the one. I will show you how much i love you.   
-Not today, i'm too tired for that big guy.   
-It's not what i meant, perv.   
-Not funny. Now, be the nice boyfriend you're supposed to be and let me use you as a personal pillow. He's yawning. Tell the others to enter if they want but no noise my ears are killing me." 

Theo falls asleep in the warmth of Scott's arms with a smile adorning his lips. Right after that, the pack enters the room, while respecting his request for silence and all relieved to see the couple asleep - Scott fell asleep after Theo with a big smile on his lips. Right now, Theo realizes that this is the first time in a long time that he is happy, really happy, and that he feels protected not only with the powerful arms around him, preventing the outside world from hurting him, but also with the whole pack near him, worrying for his safety. 

His last thought before he is completely asleep is that it is not that bad to have a familly.

**Author's Note:**

> So what did you think?


End file.
